Floods Force Release of Up To 10,000 Crocodiles Into South African Rivers

Authorities in South Africa are trying to round up thousands of crocodiles after rising flood waters forced the owners of a crocodile farm to open the farm’s flood gates.

From this story on Reuters:South Africa has called out the police to join the hunt for as many as 10,000 crocodiles on the loose after escaping from a farm during floods and being washed into one of southern Africa’s biggest rivers, officials said on Friday. Crocodile farmers, locals and police have trapped thousands of the reptiles, using plastic bands to tie their legs behind their backs and then piling them into pick-up trucks.

The flood gates at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders were opened on Sunday because it was feared that rising flood waters would crush the reptiles, releasing some 15,000 crocodiles into the Limpopo River.

According to the story, most of the crocs are less than two meters long, but, unsurprisingly, authorities have issues warnings to avoid the river for a while…